Head-lamp controller.



W. F. SNOWDON.

HEAD LAMP CGNTROLLER APPLICATION HLED JUNE 26.1917.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.,

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Monuv WITNESSES V V. F. swownou. HEAD LAMP CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. l9l7.

1,257,141. Patented Feb.19,1918.

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INVENTOR wlmssas I v WTSizazaaZwg ArroRnEv 'w. nsw'ownon 'HEAD LAMP CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2i, 191

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

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WITNESSES W2?) aw ATTORNEY controlling mechanism in its applied relation to the forward portion of a motor vehl ole chassis.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. snownoiv, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

HEAD-LAM; CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

A plication filed June 26, 1917. Serial No. 177,098.

electrically controlled means whereby the, headlamps of a motor vehicle may be dis-1 posed at different angles with rcspeetvo a vertical and a. horizrmtal plane. rnabliug. the lamps to be swung laterally to either side of the normal path of the vehicle and also swung on a. substantially horizontal axis for the purpose of directing the rays of light in a downward or upward. direction or in a horizontal plane.

I A further object of the invention is to provide lamp controlling means of the charact-er zlbOYv referred to which will enable both the lamps to be turned on a horizontal or a. vertical axis at the same time thus adaptingtlie lamps to be used as search lights whether'th'e machine is in motion or at rest.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts,

herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawin sz- Figure 1 is a. side elevation 0 one of the lamps, showing the supporting and operat in I means therefor.

iig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewtaken at right angle to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 1s a plan view showing thelamp Fig.'4 is-a fragmentary section on the A line Hof Fig. 1.' l

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of one of the gear shifting and carrying members. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the switch.

Fig.' 8 is a vertical diametrical section through the same.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the switch lever socket member.

'Fig'. 10 is a diagram of the wiring system.

In accordance with the ordinary automobile practice, I employ a. pair of headlamps arranged at the front of the vehicle and supported on the frame thereof. Each lamp 1 is of the ordinary construction and is supported by pivots 2 to swing on a substantia-lly horizontal axis between fork arms 3 extending upwardly from a tubular lamp post 4.

In connection with each tubular lamp 0st 4L, I employ a lamp post support or stan ard 5 preferably of tubular formation as shown and having; at the bottom thereof a base flange 6 by means of which the support 5 may be fixcdly secured tp the adjacent i'ramc bar 7 of the vehicle. At a suitable elevation, the lamp post support carries a llzuige or'slmlt' S on which certain ;arts of the i'nechanism hereinafter referrer to are mounted. l lxtending upwardly from the shelf 8 a tubular lmusing 9 in which the tubul a1. lump post 4 is received and adapt-ed to turn on avertical axis. In the lower portion of the-housing 9 there is a stationary :un'iular flange 10 forming a guide for an internally threaded nut 11 in which is received a threaded tubular stem 12 that extends u invarz' y through the tubular-p: st- 4: and above said post where it has coin'uc 'i-d thereto by pivots 13, arc-hate links 14. .l'he links 14 embrace the lower part of the lamp- 1 and are connected thereto by pivots 15. The nut, 11 is seated upon and within the annular shoulder or flange 10 so that as-the nut 11 is turned, it serves to elevate or depress the stem 12 and correspondingly tilt the respective lamp 1 on a substantially horizontal axis for the purpose of directing the rays of light therefrom-in an upward or downward direction or-in Ir horizontal path.

The means for revolving the nut 11,.embodies a rotary horizontal shaft 16 which is associated with both lamps so that they maybe simultaneously tilted. In connection with each lamp, the. shaft 4: is provided with a worm 17 meshing with a worm .19 has a worm 20 which meshes with. a

worm wheel 21 surrounding and having a fixed relation to the tubular lamp post 4.

Thereforewhen the-shaft 19 is turned, the lamps 1 are correspondingly turnedfon a substantially vertical axis, the lamp post p 'astoa being journaledfin a pair of collars 22 arranged one above the other and 1n spaced relation to the other and within the housing 9. y l

n connection with each of the lamps, I also employ a direction indicator or pointer 23 having a horizontally extending arm 24 and a vertical journal portion 25 which is the cam 29 engages the arm '28 of the.polnter 23 and' swin s the saint on a vertical axis, causing the orizontaljend portion or arm 24 of the ointer toextend laterally with respect to t e direction of movement of the vehicle thereby notifying traflie in general ro osed alteration in the course of the veliic e.

. turned to a straight aheadpos t on the'di rection indicator or pomter23 is returned I to its non-indicating positionby means of a spring 31' which is coiled around the journal portion '25 and has one extremity attached. to said journal portion and the other toafixed point of the bracket 26. Vertical guides 29 on the cam 29 receive a tongue 12" on the stem 12 to prevent the letter from turning independently of the post 4.

Mounted upon the shelf 8--is'-a reversible electric motor 32 and journaled upon the shaft 33 of said motor is a igear shifting member or frame 34 containing-: upper an lower gears 35 and 36,,respectively, the gear 35 being movable into and out of mesh with a gear 37 on the shaft 19 above referred to, and the gear 36 being movable into and out of mesh with a gear 38 on the shaft 16 above referred to. 39 designates a gear fast on the shaft 33 of the motor 32, the gear 39 meshing simultaneously" with both of the 85 and 36. v

Atoneside of "the electric motor 32 there is located a solenoid magnet 40, the armature'41 of which carries a fork 42' which is engaged by aprojection 43 on the frame 34. The'solenoid embodies two magnets one arranged in front and the other in rear of the fork 42 so that by'energizing one of said magnets, the fork 42 ismoved in one direction and by energizing the other magnet, said fork is moved in the opposite d1- 'rection-.- This enables either one of the gears 85 and 86 to be thrown "into meshwith the adjacent respective gear 37 or 38, thus controlling the rotation of the shafts 16 and 19 and the'swinging movement of the lamp either laterally one vertical axis When the lamps are or on a horizontal axis for the purpose above set forth. The lead wires 44 of the lamp may be extended downwardly through the tubularstem 12 and the tubular lamp post 4 as well as the tubular lamp post support 5.

At the opposite side of the electric motor 32 there is located another solenoid magnet 45 corresponding with themagnet 40, and

, comfirislng coils arranged one in advance of t e other, said solenoid havin attached to the armature 46 thereof a shi ter 47 for throwing a polarity chan ing switch, the arrangement being such t at when one of the magnets of the solenoid 45 is energized, the polarit switch will be shifted in one direction an when the other magnet is energized, the polarity switch will bereversed, thus enabling the motor 32 to be operated in either dll'BGtIOl'L- This is necessary in order words a guidewayl embodying four branches,

0;, b,c and d as s own in Fig. 7 and in each 1 of-said guideways there are arran ed three contact points 6, f and g. 51'des1gnates a switch leverihaving an insulating head or handle 52. The lower end'of the lever 51 has a ball 53 which is received in a bean ing socket 54, the shank of the lever as well as the ball 53 and-the socket 54 being formed of metal and the socket member 54 havin a threaded stem or'shank 55 which exten s through the bottom 'of the body 48 and forms a bindlnpost to which a com-' mon, feed" wire 56' is astened by means of a binding post nut57t In each of the guide ways a, b, c and (1 i1 arran e a spring 58 .which serves to return the ever 51 to its central or neutral position.

When a left hand turn is to be mlade, the operator inoves the lever 51'into the vleft hand guideway b where it meets the contact 6 and throws the reversing switch of ,the motor. In the further movement of the lever 51, it breaks the contact with thepoint e and makes contact with the point f, sending the current through the magnet 40 and causin the ar 35 to mesh with the gear there y turnthe shaft 19. In the further-movement of'the lever 51 in the same direction, it leaves the point f and engages the pomt 9 thereby energizing-and drlving the motor '13. Upon releasing the lever 51 it is'f fretn'med to its initial or neua horizontal path.

From the foregoing descriptioli taken in connection with the mains ying drawings it will now be understoo t atby means of a single control lever 51, all theCnepes sary operations may be performed to'trfi; the headlamps 1 on a substantially vertical axis, and also on a substantially horizontal axis. This, as previously noted, enablesthe rays of light to be directed laterally to either side of the vehicle and also enables the rays of light to be directed at an upward or downward inclination or in a straight ahead Not only may the lamps thus be used by the operator to signal the contemplated movements of the vehicle which he is operating but in addition thereto, the other direction indicators or pointers are simultaneously operated, the last named indicators being more especially designed for use during the day time. The purpose in using the four guideways a, 7), 0 and dis to enable the necessary connections to be made with certainty, to cause the lamps to swing to the right or to the left or upwardly or. downwardly.

I claim 7 1. In headlamp controlling mechanism,

the combination of a headlamp, supporting means therefor enabling said lamp to be turned-on a'substantially vertical axis and also on a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary shaft geared to the lamp supportin means to turn the same on suchvertica axis, another rotary shaft geared to. the lamp supporting means adapted to'turn said lamp on a substantialiy horizontal axis, an electric motor, motor controlled means for operating either one of rotary shafts independently of the other, the last named means comprising gear shifting member, gears carried thereby, a gear on the motor shaft meshing with said gears, the gears on said shifting member being movable one at a time into and out of mesh with the respective gears on said rotary shafts.

"2. In headlamp controlling mechanism,

comprisinga gear shifting member, gears carrled thereby, a gear on the motor shaft shifting member being ,movable one at a time into and out of mesh with the respectivegears on said rotary shafts, and a solenoid magnet coiiperatively related to said gear shifting member for oscillating the atter. 1

3. In headlamp control, the combination of a lamp post support, a tubular lamp post, a lamp supporting fork on said post, a lamp supported by said fork to swing on a substantially horizontal axis, electrically controlled means for turning said tubular lamp post, a threadedstem movable longitudinally within said tubular lamp post, links connecting said tubular stem with the lamp to produce a turning movement of the latter on a substantially horizontal axis, a rotary not ongaging said threaded'stem for shifting the latter in thedirection of its'lcngth, electricallycontrolled means for turning said nut, a direction indicating member journaled on a vertical axis at one side of'the lamp post, a spring for holding said direction indicating membernormally in a nonindicating position, and an actuating member having a. fixed relation to said tubular'lamp post and adapted to c'odperate with said di rec'tionindicating member to move naling position. V

Tn testimony whereof I atfix m signature.

WILLIAM F. SN WDON.

the latter to sig- 6O meshing with said gears, the gears on said 

